Jury finds pair of crooked Chicago cops guilty

On Behalf of | Oct 30, 2019 | Drug Charges |

Previously we have written about a pair of Chicago police officers who were arrested and charged with stealing drugs and cash. Sergeant Xavier Elizondo and Officer David Salgado were recently found guilty by jurors on all charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and theft.

Their case makes it clear again why people who are arrested should not lose hope. Unfortunately, some police officers are themselves corrupt and see a profit in framing people on drug-trafficking charges and other allegations.

Prosecutors presented evidence that showed that officers Elizondo and Salgado used bogus information to obtain search warrants and then use the warrants to steal cash and drugs. The pair was arrested a year and a half ago and accused of misusing the system that enables cops to use anonymous “John Doe” informants when requesting search warrants from Cook County judges.

They would then use the warrants to raid homes and steal money, cartons of cigarettes and drugs – and then share a portion of the illegal proceeds with the informants.

The Sun-Times reported that in one case, Elizondo and Salazar obtained a search warrant in late 2017 to raid what they believed to be a West Side stash house. The FBI had hidden $15,000 and surveillance cameras inside the home that was searched using the warrant.

However, the pair found the cameras and properly inventoried the cash. However, Elizondo was recorded telling the informant that “it would have been a good Christmas” if there had been no cameras. A month later, that same informant later pointed the pair to a rental car at Midway Airport said to contain drugs and cash.

The FBI had hidden $18,200 inside the vehicle. When Salazar took the car to the Homan Square police station, he reported finding just $14,000 inside.

The pair are scheduled to be sentenced in January 2020.

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